Not Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Article 121 Cases: What Happened at Trial

Trends › By Offense › Article 121 › Not Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Ar

Based on 37 cases · 2017–2025 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

Only 1 Full Acquittal

This post covers only contested larceny cases: courts-martial in which the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge and Article 121 was among the charges. The main finding is how few of these cases ended in a full acquittal.

Of 37 contested cases that reached a verdict, 1 ended in a full acquittal (3%). For all contested Navy and Marine Corps cases in the same years, the rate was 31%. The records do not describe the evidence, so they cannot show why the rate differs.

Partial Acquittals Were More Common

Another 10 cases (27%) ended in a partial acquittal: not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another. In this group, a partial acquittal was much more common than a full acquittal.

The remaining cases ended in a conviction on the contested charges. There were 36 convictions in all. Every sentence and discharge figure below comes from those 36 convictions. Each describes the sentence after a guilty finding on at least one charge, whether that finding covered every larceny specification or only some of them.

Most Sentences Were Under a Year

Of 36 convictions, 23 included confinement. The median confinement was 6 months, slightly shorter than the 7 months for all contested cases. A quarter of terms were 1 year or longer. These are adjudged sentences, as announced at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. They cover every charge in the case.

5 of 36 convictions (14%) included confinement longer than one year, compared with 24% for all contested cases. Only 1 conviction (3%) included 5 years or more, compared with 8%. Terms above 1 year and under 5 years were 11%, compared with 16%.

Short Sentences and No Confinement

Short sentences were slightly more common than in all contested cases. 13 convictions (36%) had no confinement, compared with 34%. Terms under 6 months were 31%, compared with 28%. Terms from 6 months to 1 year were 19%, compared with 14%.

Mostly Special Courts-Martial

Only 9 of the 37 cases (24%) were general courts-martial. The rest were special courts-martial. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. A general court-martial can impose long confinement and a dishonorable discharge.

Among 34 enlisted members convicted, 16 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (47%), slightly less often than the 50% for all contested cases. Of those, 3 were dishonorable. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.

Other Charges and Rank

In 26 of the 37 cases, at least one other article was charged. Article 92 (orders violation) and Article 107 (false official statement) each appeared in 12 cases. Article 134 (the general article) and Article 112a (drug offenses) each appeared in 6, and Article 129 (burglary before 2019; burglary and unlawful entry since) in 5.

By rank, junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 57% of the accused and NCOs 43%, with 0% officers. For all contested Navy and Marine Corps cases, junior enlisted members were 49%.

When and Where

The period starts in 2017, but the first case is from January 2020: 0 from 2017 through 2019, then 2 in 2020, 12 in 2021, 6 in 2022, 6 in 2023, 6 in 2024, and 5 in 2025. Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit the plea, and this count uses only records that list one.

Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (6), San Diego, California (6), Bremerton, Washington (3), Okinawa, Japan (3), and Quantico, Virginia (2) had the most cases. Together they account for 54% of the total. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.

Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel decide whether to prosecute covered offenses. For offenses after December 27, 2023, the judge sets the sentence within new sentencing parameters. Those rules depend on offense dates, which the records do not give. Trials from 2024 on include cases under both old and new rules.

What the Records Do Not Show

The records show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They do not show the evidence, the value of anything taken, the plea terms, or larceny handled through nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.

For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 121 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.

Compare: federal court. Theft and Fraud by Dollar Loss: Federal Sentences vs. Article 121 Courts-Martial

About the author. Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts Where All The Bodies Are Buried and runs the Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart. This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.